NICU Parents

Why should my baby have PAL® therapy?

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PAL® therapy is designed to encourage and reinforce your baby’s non-nutritive sucking by providing positive auditory feedback in the form of musical lullabies or your voice in direct response to effective sucking – sucking endurance, bursts, strength, and pacing.

Encouraging and reinforcing non-nutritive sucking is important because unlike full term babies, premature infants often come into this world before they have a chance to develop the ability to suck effectively.

Non-nutritive sucking, typically is not fully developed in babies less than 37 weeks gestation (premature). Without the sucking ability, an infant must be fed through a feeding tube. Non-nutritive sucking also helps your baby to self-soothe. Premature infants in the NICU often undergo daily medical procedures that, while necessary, can be painful and stressful. Using a device that is pleasurable for the infant while reinforcing development of a premature infant’s sucking skills will be a valuable addition to your baby’s NICU care.

When should my baby receive PAL® therapy?

Your baby should be approximately 34 weeks corrected gestational age (GA) and approved for oral feeding trials. Your baby may qualify for PAL® therapy if your baby:

  • Shows little motivation to suck
  • Exhibits a weak suck
  • Experiences early fatigue during PO feeds
  • Demonstrates frantic, short sucking bursts followed by fatigue during PO feeds
  • Is not having success with PO feeds

How is PAL® Therapy administered?

PAL® therapy is administered by a licensed NICU nurse or therapist. PAL® therapy should be administered for 15 minutes once or twice daily depending on the GA of the infant.

NICU Nurses & Parents whose babies have used PAL® have said:

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Additional Questions: ASK our clinical specialists:

  • Dana, Neonatal Speech Language Pathologist – dh@107.180.41.252

 

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Matt TatemNICU Parents